Bill Duncan Opportunity Center, Lakeland FL

Original Research by School Decision on Bill Duncan Opportunity Center

Bill Duncan Opportunity Center is a district-run alternative school in Lakeland, Florida, serving students in grades six through twelve. Its enrollment is very small, which is typical for alternative schools of this type. The student body is racially diverse, with Black, white, and Hispanic students each making up meaningful shares of enrollment. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting high economic need. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not available in what we received.

State testing results are reported for grades six through eight in math, ELA, and science. Across all tested grades and subjects, proficiency rates are quite low, with most grade-level results falling well into single digits or the low teens. These numbers are worth understanding in context: alternative schools like Bill Duncan typically serve students who have faced significant disruptions to their education, whether through disciplinary placements, academic credit gaps, life circumstances, or other barriers. The population arriving here is rarely a cross-section of general enrollment, and raw proficiency scores reflect that history rather than measuring this school against a conventional academic yardstick. A parent asking about academic outcomes here would want to speak directly with the school about what supports are in place, how students progress toward credit recovery, and what the pathway toward graduation looks like for their child.

Graduation rate data was not available in what we received. The comparison framework placed this school relative to districts in Polk County, but the cohort of comparable entities was too small to generate a meaningful position on proficiency, and absenteeism data was also absent.

Program offerings were not listed in the data we had. No Title I designation was recorded. Discipline, attendance, staffing, and course-access details were not provided.

The school sits in Lakeland, a city in Polk County in central Florida. Local context for Lakeland, including its character, major employers, and civic anchors, was not available from our research. Housing in the immediate area runs well below Florida's statewide median home value, and rents are also below the state typical, making the surrounding neighborhood more affordable than much of Florida. Home values in the area have edged slightly downward over the past year, mirroring a broader softening in Florida's market, while rents have also dipped slightly. Renters here spend a manageable share of income on housing relative to national norms. No recent parent-relevant changes from the Polk district were confirmed in our research.

For a family whose student has been referred to or is considering Bill Duncan, the relevant questions are not how it compares to a conventional middle or high school but what it offers specifically: individualized pacing, a path back to credit accumulation, and a smaller setting that may suit a student who has struggled in a larger environment. Those questions are best answered by the school directly, since the data available here does not illuminate the day-to-day program in enough detail to give a full picture.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 5 students · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

867 schools plotted. 183 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 50% · ▼ 37 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 76%

School 6% · District 33% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 37% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 53% · ▼ 46 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 46% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 44% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Science

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 36% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

This schoolPOLK, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income0%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 8Lower-income4%Higher-income9%5 pp gap